Pastner's moves working

When Geron Johnson started Friday's game for the Tigers. against Oral Roberts, it was the fifth different starting lineup in 11 games for Memphis.

If you ever want to get under University of Memphis coach Josh Pastner's skin, try mentioning to him who should or shouldn't be starting for the Tigers.

"I think starting is overrated. We have a multitude of guys that could start," said Pastner, who used his fifth different starting lineup in 11 games Friday in Memphis' 72-57 win over Oral Roberts.

The game wasn't even five minutes old when Pastner made the first of 14 first-half substitutions, pulling senior D.J. Stephens for junior Chris Crawford, who had been replaced in the starting lineup by junior Geron Johnson. Pastner made 16 more substitutions in the second half and used 10 players in all.

"I am as a coach a feel guy; a what-group's-going-well guy. That's just how I am," said Pastner, whose Tigers (8-3) wrap up a seven-game home stand Sunday night at FedExForum against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference favorite Loyola (Md.) (9-4).

"So that means we could play anywhere from five to 11 guys. People will say, 'Well, then guys don't know their role.' No. That means that everyone needs to be ready. I think the guys have an idea of who's in that main rotation, but everyone's gotta be ready."

Though he's used an eight-man rotation for the most part this season, Pastner went deeper into his bench Friday and got results, as freshman

Yet as much as Pastner downplays the significance of whom he starts, he's made a handful of lineup tweaks that have appeared to pay dividends for the Tigers, including Friday's move to start Johnson, who shut down the nation's ninth-best scorer in Oral Robert senior Warren Niles.

Pastner made the move in part to try to take some pressure off Crawford, who's struggled to find his shooting stroke over the entire month of December.

Meanwhile, senior D.J. Stephens has averaged 6.3 points, eight rebounds and three blocks per game since Pastner inserted him in the starting lineup three games ago. That move has allowed Pastner to bring junior forward Tarik Black off the bench. Though Black missed Friday's game with a groin injury, he's had season-highs in points (21 vs. Louisville) and rebounds (nine vs. Lipscomb) coming off the bench.

The lineup change that's been the most beneficial for Memphis, however, came last month, when Pastner shifted junior Joe Jackson from point guard to shooting guard.

In the seven games since, Jackson has played arguably the best basketball of his career, having averaged 14.4 points on 56.1-percent shooting. He's also making better decisions with the ball, having tallied 34 assists over that span against 20 turnovers.

"What I was proud of Joe last game was five assists and no turnovers. Since Northern Iowa, he's been really good," Pastner said.

Black, who injured his groin last week, practiced fully Saturday but was still moving tentatively. Pastner said Black's status for Sunday's game will be determined before tipoff.